Penguin Animal Totem Symbolism & Meanings

Penguin Animal Totem Symbolism

Penguins are cute little animals that people sometimes forget are actually birds. This fact, along with a few other misunderstood traits about the penguin bring a new sense to the bird’s symbolism.

Symbolism uses the traits of animals or plants, along with their actions and the myths that may be behind the creature, to figure out what the animal can represent in a figurative sense. The penguin animal totem is unique in symbolism because there are many facts about the penguins that humans get wrong, or misinterpret at times.

Even the misrepresentation of a trait can add symbolism to an animal, just like the animal’s actual traits. We will be talking about both of these things in this article so that we can get the best understanding of penguin symbolism as possible.

Penguin Associated Traits

Adaptable, Dual, Contradiction, Opposites, Social, Communicative

Symbolic Meaning Of Penguin

Native American Astrology Sign

Name: Date of Birth:

One thing that humans regularly forget about the penguin animal spirit is that the penguin is a type of bird. Some people forget that the penguin is a bird because it cannot fly, although it does have wings. Evolutionary scientists believe that penguins were once able to fly, but over time they didn’t need to fly anymore. This made it so their wings could no longer allow them to fly, but they still have their wings. However, penguins still use their wings; they don’t waste them.

Penguins use their wings to help them to swim. So, what does this evolutionary trait add to the penguin’s symbolism? The large change that the penguin has made over the years makes it a great symbol for adaptability. Not many other birds can use their wings to propel themselves in water. Also, not many other birds could adapt well enough to live in the cold of the penguin’s habitat, which leads us to our next point…

Another thing that people also don’t remember about the penguin spiritual totem is that they live mostly in Antarctica, or the south pole, and not the north pole. Although the penguin is small, because of the harsh climate in the south pole, not many other animals live there and can hunt the penguins. Penguins do not only live on the south pole though, as they can find found in some warmer climates at all.

However, it is safe to say that you probably won’t find a penguin in the northern hemisphere outside of a zoo. This fact about penguins brings along even more symbolism. This is just one of the things that symbolizes the penguins dual nature, or opposite nature. This can represent opposites, confusion, and contradictions.

A little known fact about penguins is that they have great communication skills, at least within their own group. They can easily tell each other apart by their calls. Penguins also do their best to stay in groups. This could also be seen as a survival tactic. Over all, this trait in penguins can symbolize a few very important things. Staying close together can represent community and togetherness. Having unique calls and being able to recognize each other because of it symbolizes family as well as communication.

Overall, penguin symbolic meanings are diverse and not always so obvious as the symbolism of some other plants and animals. For instance, you might not be able to know the myths about the penguin just by looking at it. This fact adds more symbolism to this bird than other animals with less myths around them have.